Parenting is tough and depending on how you were raised by your parents, your view on spanking or corporal punishment can land you in jail.

Is it child abuse or child discipline?
At what age is a child too old to be spanked?
Should they ever be spanked?
Does spanking work?
Is spanking and effective form of discipline?

We live in a world where DCF can become a nightmare to well intentioned parents.

If your child goes to school with a bruise, or goes to the doctor after falling down or getting hurt, a report by a teacher or doctor or nurse can initiate a DCF investigation that takes on a life of its own. Many of the DCF investigators have never had children and have little or no experience dealing with kids out of control. For some children, “time out” does not work. In the perfect world, you should never strike a child. Unfortunately, the world is not perfect, and sometimes, parents in frustration will put the child over their knee and warm their bottom. Discipline is an important part of learning. In life, there are rules that have to be followed. As an adult, these are called “laws”. When kids grow up with zero discipline how can you expect them to follow “laws” as adults? Religion imposes rules. In Christianity, they are called the ten commandments. A civilized society has to have rules and laws or there will be chaos.

As a criminal defense lawyer, I often come into contact with the “law breakers”. Sometimes, it is intentional, and sometimes it is by accident or out of ignorance. Some of the people I represent have no clue that what they are doing is wrong and are simply a product of their troubled childhood. Some are truly “sociopathic” and do not comprehend the difference between right and wrong. If you are the grandparent or parent of a son or daughter who has been arrested, sometimes it is difficult to understand how the child could have gone so far astray. It is never too late to try to get them to change. Jail may not be the answer. For drug addiction, it rarely is. As a criminal defense lawyer, part of solving the legal problem, is understanding what caused it. That is the way to keep it from happening again. I raised four children and understand a parent’s challenges.

If you want to hire a lawyer who has “been there, done that” and want to talk about your son or daughter, you can call my office any day for a free consultation in Lee County at 239 334 8890 or in Sarasota at 941 366 3506